


It takes more than science to save a falling heart

by Ahria



Series: Spanning The Distance [3]
Category: Galileo (TV Japan)
Genre: Character Study, Community: pyoid, F/M, Introspection, LiveJournal Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-27
Updated: 2013-05-27
Packaged: 2017-12-13 04:36:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/820043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ahria/pseuds/Ahria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yukawa considers his options and comes to a decision.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It takes more than science to save a falling heart

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: somebody threw that brick, shattered all your plans (seriously, doesn't just scream Yukaoru to anyone else?)

One fall afternoon when he was nine, Yukawa had come home from school to find his father sitting alone outside of their apartment.  His father had looked at him for a long time, cigarette dangling from his mouth and said, _women are trouble_ in a tone he didn’t understand.

He hadn't given it much thought at the time or even in the intermediate years, but now he wishes he'd remembered it. 

He blames this almost entirely on Utsumi.  She’s been trouble since the day they met and now she’s complicated _everything_.  To make matters worse, he kissed her back without thought or consideration of the outcome.  It truly surprises him that he gave in so easily.

Yukawa would like to believe it was simply instinct, a natural response to the advances of an attractive woman.  Unfortunately, it's as much of a lie today as it was a month ago.  He knows that he would have pushed any other woman away. 

That doesn’t make sense to him.  The initial hormone and neurotransmitter flood in his brain should have passed years ago after his base attraction had been noted and her potential as a sexual mate had been dismissed.  There's no reason for him to feel anything for her now except fondness and respect. 

Yukawa gets the concept of love.  He comprehends the biochemistry, of course, and even agrees with the likely evolutionary reasoning behind the brain simulating the feeling.  It’s choosing to give oneself over to such things that baffles him. 

Facts notwithstanding, there's something fundamental that he's certain of: his logic has been compromised by this woman for years.  He’s known since that bewildering moment he found himself trapped on a barge because he couldn’t let her meet a fugitive alone. 

He acknowledged this information, as uncomfortable as it was, and adapted to it.  He did his best to mitigate any further loss of perspective, quite unwilling to allow her to gain any more sway over him. 

Keeping their relationship professional was the prudent course of action.  He was able to spend a considerable amount of time in her company without complication

For six years, he’s let things rest comfortably there.

He thinks of the warmth of her body pressed against his own and considers that this arrangement may no longer suit him.

A knock on the lab door pulls him from his thoughts.  He gets to his feet and crosses the room, nods politely to the elderly man who hands him a stack of mail from a metal cart.  There's a small brown package on the bottom of the pile that catches his attention.  He sets the envelopes aside and studies the handwriting on the box. 

Using a letter opener to cut through the tape, he opens the package and pulls out the letter sitting on top.

_Oklahoma is so hot, Professor!  It surprises me every day.  I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to it._

_The training courses are interesting.  I might even have a thing or two to teach you when I get home._

_Some new friends took me to Alabaster Cavern State Park last weekend.  Parts of it were amazing.  I hadn't been inside a cave since middle school and it made me a little nostalgic._

_Enjoy the souvenir.  I saw it at the gift shop and it made me think of you.  I know it's impractical, but please accept it anyway._

_I hope you're doing well._

_-Kaoru_

Yukawa reads it twice, lingers over the characters that make up her given name.  He sets it aside, pulls out a small quartz owl and a dim photograph of Utsumi standing below a natural arch of multicolored stone.  She’s standing slightly sideways, looking up in delighted awe.

Absently, he runs his thumb over the owl's wing and finds himself wishing it was a better picture.  He can't see her face well enough to tell if she's been eating or sleeping properly.  He can't tell if she's happy in America.

The thought catches him off guard.  While he cares deeply about her wellbeing, he knows her feelings on the matter are irrelevant.  She's there whether she likes it or not, so dwelling on it would be a waste of time.  Yet here he is, wanting to read her face and examine her voice to find the answer.

He realizes that he misses her.  Not just the routine she represents or the ease in which they work together, but  _her_. 

Yukawa can't quantify these feelings.  He wants to give them form, extract them from his body and examine them under a microscope.  He wants to pick them apart and study every layer.  He thinks he'd be able to understand them then.

He studies her profile again and closes his eyes, considers the things he wants, the things he _needs_ and what he’s willing to sacrifice.

He makes lists of pros and cons, tries to calculate the probability of success or failure, considers every outcome he can think of over and over again.

Finally, _finally_ the fog in his mind clears and Yukawa comes to a decision. 

He’s had feelings for Utsumi for years, despite his best efforts, and there’s no evidence to indicate this will change in the near future.  She’s offering him a chance that he’s surprised he wants, and there’s no excuse not to take it. 

Yukawa isn’t exactly sure how to proceed just yet, but he’s never failed at anything he’s set his mind to. 

**Author's Note:**

> The biggest thanks in the world go to VesperRegina for ~~listening to my constant whining~~ being a wonderful soundboard while I was writing this fic.
> 
> The title is copied almost entirely from a lyric of the song "Black Hole" by Aqualung. The actual line is "it takes more than science to save a failing heart" but "failing" didn't suit my purpose here.


End file.
